PORT PHILLIP ESTATE WINERY

Red Hill, Victoria

Port Phillip Estate Winery sits on a spectacular, undulating site overlooking picturesque vineyards, Westernport bay and Bass Strait. Sited atop a ridge, the building unfurls across site, spiralling out of the ground and slowly rising to form the eastern wall of the structure. This abstract, sculptural form conceals much of the mass and various programme within the building, presenting a bold and simple gesture toward the road.

The main entry punctures the heavy earth wall to reveal a striking vista across the coastal landscape. Contained between the undulating earth walls and overarching timber-lined ceiling, a large restaurant and cellar door take full advantage of this view.

A dramatic staircase descends between the earth walls into the belly of the building, slowly revealing the immense scale and complexity of the project. A large barrel store is dug deep into the hillside, emphasising the feeling that the building is nestled into the earth. Beyond are production areas, laboratory and an accommodation wing, that are both hidden from the street and public areas but open to the striking view beyond.